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DTE Energy and sonnen Launch Michigan's First Residential Battery Virtual Power Plant Pilot to Explore New Ways to Lower Energy Costs

DTE
  • DTE Energy & sonnen launched Michigan's first residential battery virtual power plant pilot at Veridian at County Farm, a carbon-neutral community developed by Thrive Collaborative.
  • The two-year pilot, approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, will virtually connect nearly 100 homes equipped with sonnen battery systems to evaluate grid reliability, cost reduction, & flexible energy management.
  • The initiative aims to coordinate individual home batteries as a grid resource to meet growing energy demand while supporting affordability goals for Michigan families.
  • Veridian features 170 mixed-income, fossil-fuel-free homes designed as self-balancing energy ecosystems using geothermal energy, heat pumps, EV-ready charging, all-electric appliances, & rooftop solar.
  • Insights from the pilot will determine how residential virtual power plants can support a more affordable & clean energy future in the state.
  • The project was nominated for the Michigan Energy Innovation Council's Project of the Year award & sonnen was named a 2026 POWER Awards finalist for its Wattsmart Battery Program.
  • DTE Energy serves 2.3 million electric customers in Southeast Michigan & 1.4 million natural gas customers across the state, while sonnen operates as a pioneer in residential battery-based virtual power plants.